Hi, first of all I would like to thank this community for helping out each other.
My wife was diagnosed with postpartum psychosis 9 months after the birth of our daughter. This was in US. I decided to take a second opinion from a doctor in India. The doctor there mentioned that postpartum psychosis happens only till 6 months after delivery. In his opinion this is regular psychosis and not just postpartum.
Did anyone here had PPP after 6 months of delivery. How was your recovery?
Thanks
Hi there. I had a psychotic episode 11 months post partum. It can absolutely happen after 6 months, my psychiatrist is an expert in the field. My recovery has been brutal to be honest. Its been 2 months since the episode and I dont feel like myself at all. They say it can take a year.....
Hi rajat034 and welcome to the forum,
I had PP in 2009 and my illness was fairly rapid in onset, so I can't share an experience on this I'm afraid. Recovery can be really hard, and take time. For me, the biggest thing was finding my confidence and place in the world after such a traumatic and shattering experience.
The APP website has some really good information which might be helpful to you, including FAQs: app-network.org/what-is-pp/...
Also Guides, including Recovery which might be helpful for your wife, and the Partners Guide: app-network.org/what-is-pp/...
It sounds like you are a fantastic support to her, thanks very much for finding us. All the best, xx
No, I did not. I struggled emotionally with my babies,who are now in their futures, as I never had any maternal feelings. I don't know whether that counts as PPP. It was the I'd never heard of it till woman's hour last week and it just fitted exactly, what I went through fifteen years ago. I imagine experts have many differing opinions.
Hello rajat034
So good to share our experiences to help each other isn't it? I had PP twice many years ago which struck within a few days after my sons were born so I'm sorry that's not very helpful to you.
How is your wife now? It is a very traumatic illness to overcome but it is only temporary and as bad as some days can be, your wife will eventually fully recover. It took me nigh on two years to find my feet and regain my confidence. We all unique in our route and time span to recovery. I hope your wife is continuing to improve.
Take care of yourself as this can be a very uncertain time for family and friends too.
Hi there rajat034
Really glad you've found the forum. I had PPP 9 months after having my daughter. It can definitely happen. Though my situation is a bit different as I had had psychotic episodes before having my daughter, so I knew there was a risk. Often perinatal doctors support mums in the first 6 months, and that's what happened to me, so that may be what the doctor who advised you meant. There's a much higher risk in the first 6 months. But when I was in hospital, having had the episode at 9 months my perinatal psychiatrist, who no longer officially covered my case as it was after the 6 month period, spoke to the psychiatrist who was seeing me and made a point of saying 'this is definitely PPP'.
It's a really, really tough thing to go through, both as a mum and as a partner. You're doing a really amazing thing by being on this site and reaching out for your wife, it's that love that she'll need right now and that will see her through.
Sending every best wish to you, your wife and your daughter xx
Thanks for sharing your story and wishes. Another thing I wanted to ask is that during recovery period did you have few days when you were really normal and then few days where you felt lot of depression and anxiety?
Hi rajat I'm glad you've found the forum supportive. It's good to hear your wife is recovering. As others said it does take time. I wanted to say too my experience was very much a few days doing OK and then a few days struggling with anxiety and depression. It was so hard but slowly the gaps between the down days got less and less. I'm sure this will happen with your wife.
Take care and do write whenever you need to.
Hi, my first episode happened two weeks after my first son was born in 2012 and I had another episode when I was 5 weeks pregnant in 2015. I believe hormonal changes has a lot to do with both of the episodes. Was your wife possibly in the process of weaning the baby before the episode?
Best wishes
Hi there, I see this is an old thread but May be you’ll see this reply nevertheless. I had PPP a year ago and fortunately have been well since. (I have had depression before once in my life after having Covid which was quickly resolved with antidepressants for 3 months. This was in 2020. No mental health issues outside of that). Then when I was pregnant - around month 4 I became depressed. I suffered with depression for the rest of my pregnancy and unfortunately didn’t take antidepressants bc I was afraid what they would do to my baby. Needless to say that was a mistake. I had psychosis 5 days after she was born. I have now been well for a year and my husband and I plan on another baby next year. The doctors will keep me on a mood stabilizer and an antidepressant for my whole pregnancy but they don’t want to start the antipsychotic until after birth. You said that you developed psychosis at 5 weeks pregnant? Do you know why this happened? Were you on any medications? Did it happen suddenly? Were you able to catch the first symptoms? Did they end up giving you a bipolar diagnosis? Any insight or whatever you feel comfortable sharing will be greatly appreciated. We want another baby but safety for me and my daughter is of course priority. Thank you
Hi rajat034, my experience of recovery at times was as you describe it for your wife - a few days "normal" then a few days really anxious. It can be a very up and down time. I found that a lot of it was finding my place, getting used to being a Mum (& without the support of staff in hospital when I got home, that was hard at times) and coming to terms with what had happened. I think we also forget sometimes that Mums who have not been unwell can find it hard on some days so we magnify things too much (I know I did!) and are even harder on ourselves when really it is just normal.
If you and your wife are concerned about the bad days, please do seek further medical advice - it may be that any medication she is on could do with a review or perhaps adjustment. Recovery is really achievable but can just take time and patience (I was terrible at being patient with myself too and just wanted it all to be over!) It will get there, all the best for your wife's continued recovery, take care, xx
Each person is different. My mum had pp 9months after but never recovered fully, in the sense she's still on meds. But there were lots of complicating factors for that. The most important thing is to give your wife hope (don't let your wife listen to negative doctors or her own thoughts) and support that you will always love her. And understand mental health properly yourself.
The Spiritual Side of Postpartum Psychosis
Social and professional life on/after treatement
Terrifying episode of PPP. 
Midwife dumped me
